


I'll shake this world off my shoulders

by MistysGatorTeeth



Series: The Misadventures of Harrington and Buckley [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bullying, Gen, Good Friend Steve Harrington, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Use of Homophobic Slurs, One Shot, Period-Typical Homophobia, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistysGatorTeeth/pseuds/MistysGatorTeeth
Summary: Steve defends Robin against the shittiness that is Hawkins High's resident bully population.
Relationships: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Series: The Misadventures of Harrington and Buckley [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765666
Comments: 1
Kudos: 57





	I'll shake this world off my shoulders

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt; "Can you write about like Steve picking Robin up from school and noticing her getting bullied ??"

Steve never thought he’d have to pull up again to the front of Hawkin’s High, the familiar feeling of his BMW pulling into the barely-there painted lines of the parking lot. Music leaks from the radio and out the rolled down windows - filling the lot with the sounds of  _ don’t you forget about me  _ as teenagers pour out the doors of that hellhole. To put it lightly, Steve Harrington did  _ not  _ enjoy his time in the educational system. Yeah, maybe if he paid a little more attention in second period he would be at some college, drinking from a keg and  _ not  _ friends with a gaggle of fourteen-year-olds, but highschool was all parties and sex and girls - and  _ jerks.  _

His thought process is suddenly covered by an angry red filter as he watches Robin hop down the steps two at a time. Her bag loosely hanging off one shoulder. It’s still hot in September this year, so her shorts provide her knees no protection when the boy next to her smirks and uses his foot to catch her ankles mid-hop. She tumbles down the few remaining steps. Short hair fanned out on the asphalt, and a wince paining her face visible from this far away. 

The music cuts out as quickly as the engine does as Steve pulls his keys out of the car. The black of his boots drags against the pavement as he stomps toward the doors. He doesn’t know the kid’s name, though he looks familiar, so when he gets within shouting distance the entire school population’s heads turn at his angry yell. 

“Hey, you! Hey,  _ dipshit!”  _

Robin props herself up on her elbows on the ground and groans seeing Harrington speed walking over to her.  _ My knight in shining armor.  _ His arms raise and he points and the guy who’s tripped her. Resisting the urge to roll over and die of embarrassment, Robin dreads the eyes on them as Steve finally gets close enough to stick his finger against the younger boy’s chest. 

“What the fuck was that?” He questions; he uses the voice he uses when one of the kids that follow him like lost ducklings get picked on. _Oh god._ She’s _not_ one of his cultish little circle of brats. Besides, it’s not like they’re calling her frogface, or toothless. 

“I can’t believe it.” The boy says. It’s Keith Harling - bench warmer of the football team and failing history right next to Robin every day around eleven. Keith’s smug attitude does little to calm Steve down, “The  _ dyke  _ actually has a boyfriend?” 

And there it is. Robin’s chest tightens. She doesn’t know where they got the idea she was gay; the only person that  _ knows  _ is Harrington and he wouldn’t tell a soul - even if he wasn’t her best friend, he knows he’d lose at least one limb and probably more. But still, her senior year starts in whispers in the hall and writing on her locker. Part of her knows it’s just to mess with her because she keeps rejecting every advance thrown at her. Part of her wants Harrington to shut the  _ fuck  _ up before they realize they’re  _ right.  _

“Maybe it’s ‘cause you’re such a pussy, Harrington.” Keith spits, smirking like he’s the funniest guy to ever exist, “Yeah? That’s why she likes you? I heard they like to hang out,  _ queers,  _ you a queer now, Harrington?” 

He doesn’t get a traditional reply. Steve’s fist is against the bottom of his jaw and it makes him bite his tongue between his teeth. At the first punch thrown, Robin scrambles to stand up. One, to not get stepped on as the boys go at each other like dogs, and two - to stop Steve from being a dumbass. He draws his arm back again to hit again and only stops it from hooking forward at the tug on his elbow of Robin’s fingers wrapped around it. “Steve- Steve,  _ stop it.”  _

Keith’s chin darkens with blood as his mouth pours crimson at the corners. His eyes are fucking  _ livid  _ as he glares at the older boy. “You’re dead, Harrington, you hear me?” 

His mouth opens, probably to respond. But Robin mumbles and tugs again at his arm, “Come on, we’re going to be late for work.”  _ Don’t get yourself arrested.  _ Although she’s pretty sure Hopper would most likely just drive them both home. “He’s not worth it.”  _ It’s not worth it.  _ Harrington can’t punch the bigotry out of the entire class, what he can do is draw more attention to it, for sure. “Please,” Robin adds and knows he won’t deny her that. He’s a dingus, but he’s not  _ that  _ dumb. “They’re just stupid.” 

Keith’s friends pull him back too - more to avoid getting in trouble with the principal that starts his journey to see what’s causing all the chaos than to actually stop the fight. The walk to the car is awkward; mostly because of Robin’s twisted ankle and her refusal to lean on Steve. 

“What’s wrong, Buckley?” He asks, trying to at least take her backpack and scoffing when the action is met with the bag being spitefully swung to the other shoulder. “You’re really  _ that  _ stubborn.” The teasing tone to his words does little to relieve the frown across Robin’s features. Her scowl deepening as and he follows the quick flick of her angry eyes to someone over his shoulder.  _ Oh,  _ that’s it. 

Thinking his actions over Steve clears his throat and scuffs his shoe against the pavement as he unlocks the car. “Or do you just not want  _ Tammy  _ to see you show any signs of weakness?” The fun mocking gleam to his question  _ almost  _ makes Robin yell at him in a rush of half-hearted insults. Looking up though, Steve looks at her like he always does when she needs a good laugh.  _ The dumbass is trying to cheer me up.  _ Ugh. Why did she have to befriend the biggest idiot in Hawkins and  _ why  _ did he have to be so surprisingly nice. It was  _ nice  _ she realizes. Being teased about her crush like it’s normal. Maybe that was his plan. Maybe it  _ does  _ make her smile.

“Shut up, Harrington.” 


End file.
